Mayoral candidate brief bio and Q&A: Sylvester Turner

Talking points: Turner has focused most often on infrastructure and income inequality in the campaign thus far, such as by touting an idea to partner with educators and the private sector to create new road-repair community college courses whose enrollees would be placed in industry jobs.

Pros and cons: Turner touts his 26 years in the Legislature – a tenure that includes a decade as a key author of the state budget and as one the state's most powerful Democrats, retaining influence amid Republican supermajorities – as evidence of his readiness to tackle big problems. Turner has picked up endorsements from the city's police, fire and municipal unions and many political bigwigs. This long history and his many alliances, however, have led opponents to paint him as a career politician whom voters have spurned twice before when he sought the mayor's office, in 1991 and 2003.

3of3Prairie View A&M President George C. Wright, left, speaks with mayoral candidate state Rep. Sylvester Turner as state and local officials gathered for an inquiry into the death of Sandra Bland in the Waller County Jail.Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

(Note: The Houston Chronicle submitted these questionnaires to each campaign and asked that the candidates fill them out themselves. The responses have been edited for style, formatting and spelling.)

1. What is the biggest issue or challenge facing Houston?

There actually is a top tier of challenges that our next mayor will need to address, including the need for safer neighborhoods, improved roads and infrastructure, stronger support for our public schools and careful management of our budget. Those are all top priorities for me.I would add to that list a big challenge that my opponents are not addressing: ensuring that Houston's progress and promise are truly benefiting all of our communities, not just a select few. We are a world-class city with the resources and wherewithal to meet the fundamental needs of all of our families and to provide real opportunity in every community. But right now, Houston's economy is working a lot better for some of our communities than for others. In fact, economic inequality has sharply increased here over the past 30 years and too many Houstonians are shut out of our prosperity. Our economy is strongest when our middle class is thriving and when all our residents have access to good-paying jobs. Making the long-term strategic decisions that will expand opportunity throughout the city is the key responsibility of our next mayor.

2. Pensions: How would you describe Houston's pension situation? Do you agree reform is needed, and if so how would you pursue it?

Turner on pensions.

A stable pension system is an essential protection for the economic health of the middle class. Public employees deserve the secure retirements that were promised them; our city needs to fund essential services; and taxpayers need to be protected.

I support local control – but to achieve it, we must put our local house in order.

I have a 26-year track record of getting things done in the legislature and have occupied major positions under Democratic and Republican leadership. I can tell you that state legislators don't want to be put in the position of settling local disputes. They just throw up their hands and refuse to get involved.

That's why any meaningful reforms in Austin will require all stakeholders in Houston sitting at the table discussing the city's financial challenges now and into the future.

Beware of politicians selling easy answers – they often have unintended consequences.

Any wholesale changes done without buy-in from local stakeholders can put the safety of the city at risk. Approximately 1,900 police officers are eligible to retire right now – when the force has fewer officers than it did ten years ago – and nearly 1,400 firefighters are eligible to retire right now. The threat of losing so many officers and firefighters is not just theoretical.

In Memphis, according to a Wall Street Journal article this spring, more than 250 police and firefighters quit after the city switched a portion of its employees out of defined benefit plans into 401(k)-style accounts. And the city is having significant challenges recruiting replacements.

An all-or-nothing approach will get us nothing – except continued total gridlock.

We did not reach this unfunded liability overnight and it will take a series of steps to rein in the costs. Take, for example, Texas' Employee Retiree System, which had an unfunded liability of $7.5 billion and a cost to the state of $500 million a year. We made some design changes in a previous session of the legislature. In this legislative session, I co-authored the bill to make the plan actuarially sound. I would suggest a similar approach – working with all stakeholders to reach common ground – for Houston. Good faith in communication and interaction are essential elements.

Taxes and city budget:

Turner on the revenue cap.

a. Do you think Houston's taxes or fees should be increased for any reason? (For example: Lifting the voter-imposed cap that limits the revenue Houston can collect from property taxes.)

Like cities across the country, Houston is facing a tough budget climate. The cycle of shortfalls and short-term fixes is unsustainable. I am open to exploring alternative sources of revenue, including potentially lifting the revenue cap for limited purposes such as improving public safety or paying down municipal debt. I am also open to discussions about smoothing out spikes in debt service, while keeping in mind that it is in our best interests to pay our debt down as soon as possible. Our ability to manage debt is also impacted by other moving parts such as interest rate increases and pension costs.

The potential of last Friday's ruling by the Texas Supreme Court to disrupt the city's funding for streets and drainage infrastructure is deeply concerning. Houston needs a secure, stable and adequate source of funding for infrastructure and – whatever the outcome of the litigation – the city's funding mechanisms for infrastructure and all city services must be clear, transparent and fair. I will fight to maintain a reliable and equitable revenue source for drainage and streets.

b. What areas of the budget would you cut, if any? Where would you put that money?

Houston residents deserve basic city services, despite our budget shortfalls. Closing that gap will require a combination of approaches. We must maximize our resources by cutting waste and inefficient spending. One potential way of achieving this is to implement performance measures with specific targets and outcomes to measure progress, and even to consider the limited implementation of zero-based budgeting for some departments. Additionally, we must explore alternative sources of revenue, such as lifting the revenue cap for certain limited purposes. And, ultimately, we must grow our tax base to keep our city thriving. This means both employing the judicious use of incentive funding to attract new businesses to Houston, and making the needed investments in our infrastructure, our public safety, our education system and more, that will make businesses and their employees want to stay here. Changes to existing budget allocations should be made in a deliberative process that includes all affected stakeholders.

3. Public safety:

a. Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland has voiced concern about understaffing at the city's police department, last year requesting $105 million to hire hundreds of new officers over the next five years. Do you think HPD's staffing concerns are valid? If so, would you fund McClelland's request and how would you do it?

As mayor, I will work to return Houston to a community-policing model that forges real connections between officers and the communities they serve. Effective community policing requires enough officers to make the model work – when officers are stretched too thin, because they are responding to emergency calls or isolated in their cars on patrols – they do not have the ability to engage with the neighborhoods they serve. This is a concern in Houston, especially since, despite our immense population growth over the last decade, our police force has remained roughly the same size.

A comprehensive study of HPD released last year supports the conclusion that additional officers are needed. Funding, of course, is the challenge. That's one of the reasons I would take a hard look at increasing our revenue cap and dedicating the funds to public safety. As mayor, I will work to minimize administrative costs so that our limited resources can be focused on placing more officers on the street, where crimes can be investigated and solved, and where officers can meaningfully engage with the communities they serve.

b. The city's criminal justice facilities are run down and city officials say they are inadequate for their current needs. Would you pursue a new justice complex? If so, how?

Our central justice complex is in substantial disrepair, with facilities dating as far back as the 1930s. As previously stated, I am open to discussions of lifting the revenue cap for specific purposes such as public safety, for which a new justice complex might qualify. However, before deciding whether and how to proceed, I would push for an exploration of avenues of potential funding that would not require new debt or fees, including possible federal and private grant opportunities for economic development and criminal justice reform. I am also open to combining the city's crime lab operations with those of Harris County or DPS, which would result in cost-savings for the city.

4. Infrastructure:

a. Would you support a proposition to repeal or greatly change ReBuild Houston?

As I have said, Houston must have a secure, stable and adequate source of funding for infrastructure and – whatever the outcome of the pending litigation – the city's funding mechanisms for infrastructure and all city services must be clear, transparent and fair. Repealing our current funding mechanism without a clear plan to replace the funding would be irresponsible.Houston's infrastructure must keep pace with our growth and development – that is essential.

ReBuild Houston represents a critical opportunity to create the strong infrastructure that Houston needs and deserves, which will lead to increased property values and facilitate our continued growth. Revenues from the ReBuild Houston fund will increase as old bonds are retired and the funds used for debt service are captured. Because of the untested and ongoing nature of the program, it is important that thorough monitoring and evaluation is in place to maintain the program's effectiveness. One of my first items of business as mayor will be to undertake a top-to-bottom performance audit of the Public Works Department.

In light of the recent ruling by the Texas Supreme Court, the prospects for a secure funding source for infrastructure are in question. As we work to strengthen the program, or replace it if necessary, bringing all stakeholders to the table will be essential. I will fight to maintain a reliable and equitable revenue source for drainage and streets. The people of Houston lose if we do not have a reliable funding source for infrastructure.

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b. Would you reallocate money (and how much) for road maintenance? How would you spend it?

The city council needs to look at some allocation of funding for road repair and maintenance, with the understanding that some of the money spent on streets also assists in drainage and flood resilience. The recommendations of experts in the field should inform the determination of a specific funding amount. But what is crystal clear is that this is a dedicated source of revenue that should be used specifically for its designated purpose.

c. The streets currently are being rebuilt to handle a "100-year" rain event, meaning the worst 1 percent of storms. Would you increase the design standards, and if so how much more money would you spend?

I would focus our resources and efforts on finishing the job we've already started: bringing our streets in line with the currently existing high standards. Ending the backlog of unimproved streets as quickly as possible will improve the city's overall flood resilience without the additional time and expenditure that developing and implementing new standards would require. During the recent major flood, we saw that, in the areas of town where improvements had been completed, major flooding did not occur.

d. Should the city take on a greater role in sidewalk construction and repairs?

Yes. Besides contributing to a positive sense of community, walkable neighborhoods have been shown to improve health outcomes, contribute to economic development, benefit the environment, and even increase property values. The city has a clear interest in maximizing the walkability of our communities.

5. Mobility:

a. What should Metro's priorities be over the next decade? Would you push for the completion of the University Line or commuter rail?

I applaud Metro's recent steps forward on its long-term BRT proposal. I am also in favor of the commuter line between Missouri City and Houston, the 90A line, which has the strong support of the communities in that region. However, it is crucial that any citywide transportation proposal includes usable transportation for every community, not only point-to-point transportation for commuters. As mayor, I will work with residents throughout the city to develop a plan that works for all of Houston.

b. Would you seek to encourage modes of transportation other than automobiles? If so, what and by what means?

Yes. Houston is a world-class city that deserves a world-class, comprehensive transportation system, including high-quality mass transit. Houston's young population expects an urban, walkable, technologically up-to-date city; we should keep this population in mind as we plan improvements to our transportation infrastructure. For example, the ease of use of our bus system could be improved by making real-time bus arrival information available to the public through their phones and computers. I support a planned approach to transit that includes buses, rail, bikes and pedestrian options, to provide effective and affordable options to all areas of the city.

c. Do you support the Texas Department of Transportation's $6 billion-plus plan to remake I-45 downtown? Why or why not?

I view TxDOT's plan very favorably. I-45 is outdated and very congested. I support TX-DOT's plan. The I-45 downtown segment has been a source of congestion for years, and that congestion is only worsening as our population increases, to the detriment of our economy, our air quality, and our individual pocketbooks. This reconstruction will alleviate substantial pressure throughout our city's transportation network. The proposed realignment of the freeway will unify downtown and spur potential economic development. And I support the repurposing of the current Pierce Elevated into a linear park – a bigger, better version of New York's High Line.

d. The location for the Houston station of the proposed Houston-Dallas high speed train has yet to be selected. Where would you suggest placing it?

I have advocated for the station to be placed at the Northwest Transit Center. High-speed rail will be a significant addition to Houston and the State of Texas. I look forward to continuing to work with Texas Central to implement this transformational project.

6. Economic development:

Turner on economic inequality.

a. Houston is consistently ranked among the cities with the worst income inequality and income segregation in the country. What do you think are the root causes? What should be done about it?

There is no one solution to our persistent inequality. It will take a commitment to economic development and investment in our infrastructure, our students and our workforce. Not only are these the investments that will create opportunity and grow our middle class, these are the investments that will attract and retain businesses and encourage job growth. When major companies consider whether to move to or stay in Houston, they aren't only looking for tax incentives. They want to know whether their employees will be able to send their children to good schools, and whether they'll have something interesting to do on the weekends. They want to know that the roads are well maintained so that their employees won't be stuck in traffic every day. They want to know that our school system has done a good job in training potential new hires. If we don't want to be on the losing end of some of these calculations, we need to be willing to make the basic investments that these corporations expect to see. We cannot continue to lose the Exxons of the world if we want a robust economy that will provide the good-paying jobs Houstonians need. We need these kinds of companies to set up shop within the square miles of the city of Houston.

b. What would be your approach to economic development incentives, whether subsidies, tax abatements or use of the Chapter 380 tool under state law?

The City certainly should use all available tools to attract and retain jobs, including economic incentives. But the effective use of these incentives requires a real commitment to serve all of Houston, not just a select few. Why not use the same economic incentives the city now uses downtown to encourage development in other parts of the city? As Mayor, I will work to ensure that our tax dollars are only invested in projects that will provide good jobs, with the livable wages and benefits that Houstonians deserve. Incentives should also be coupled with accountability measures to ensure that taxpayers are getting the benefits promised by the recipients of the incentives.

c. One economic development tool is the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. More than $100 million in property taxes are generated annually inside the city's TIRZs. Critics say these zones trap money in rich areas, worsening inequities across the city. Supporters say the zones drive development, and note that because they are exempt from the revenue cap, they generate revenue the city otherwise could not collect. What would be your approach to TIRZs?

In general, I believe we need to consider lifting the revenue cap for certain limited purposes. Special districts such as TIRZs are useful tools in Houston's development arsenal, but that the decision to implement them must be made based on the specific circumstances at hand. I favor the use of incentives to encourage growth and redevelopment, but the incentives must be implemented in a transparent way and must provide Houston taxpayers with the promised return on their investment. Any decision on how to spend public money should not be made in a vacuum. I believe we should bring all entities together and coordinate our efforts to ensure we are creating the best neighborhoods for our families. The city, TIRZs, local school districts and others should all have a seat at the table and work collaboratively. Just as we are having a thoughtful conversation on pensions, I think it is healthy to have a thoughtful conversation on TIRZs. Whether or not they should be sunsetted, whether or not we should reduce the amount of revenue that remains within the TIRZ compared with what reverts to the city – these are important questions that should be debated. The next mayor will need to do a careful and thoughtful review of the city's entire financial portfolio; everything should be on the table for discussion.

7. Term limits: Should Houston switch to two four-year terms? Why or why not? If yes, when should this change take effect? This question was asked prior to council's vote to place the item on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Yes. Four-year terms would allow officials to engage in the long-term projects and strategic planning that our complex challenges require. As we face issues from long-term infrastructure planning to shoring up our financial portfolio, Houston would benefit from the accumulation of knowledge and effort that would result from longer terms of office. The voters, of course, will decide if term limits should be modified.

8. HERO: Do you support the Equal Rights Ordinance passed by City Council last year? If not, would you alter or repeal it? This question was asked prior to council's vote to place the item on the Nov. 3 ballot.

HERO provides every Houstonian with basic protections against discrimination. I am proud to have supported the passage of the ordinance, and I will vigorously enforce it as mayor.